Keeping the Moon 2
by xoxHannahBananaxox
Summary: Finished! Sequel to Keeping the Moon. Ten years later an engaged Roxie returns to Tulsa for her aunt's funeral. There she finds that a certain greaser hasn't forgotten her. Rated T to be safe.
1. Back to Tulsa

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

**Summery: Sequel to Keeping the Moon. Roxy, who is happily engaged, returns to Tulsa ten years later for Aunt Candace's funeral. There her world turns upside down when she finds out that a certain greaser hasn't forgotten her.**

**Author's Note: this is the sequel to my first ever fan fic Keeping the Moon. While I was writing Keeping the Moon I was thinking about a sequel, since people seemed to like the first one so much. Originally my other story Black Roses Red was supposed to be the sequel, there was going to be a sub-plot about Roxy and Dally. But I realized that it really didn't fit in with the message of Black Roses Red so I put the idea out of my mind, until I thought of this.**

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**Chapter One: Back to Tulsa**

I walked into the airport terminal wheeling my big black suitcase behind me. I hadn't been back here in ten years; excluding the two day trip I made to see Darry and Olivia get married nine years ago but that hardly counted. I smiled almost fondly at the memory of my fifteenth summer, the one I spent here in Tulsa, but that lead to me thinking about why I was back which caused the smile to turn into a sad frown and a lump to form in my throat. I shook myself as I made my way to rent my car.

As I waited in line at the car rental desk I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror behind the desk. I looked a lot different than I had ten years ago. My hair, which had turned a brown color naturally over the years, was cut into a chin-length bob with long bangs that framed my face. It was much different from the honey blonde colored hair that I had sported back then. I was taller, thank goodness for that growth spurt, and less gawky, finally growing into my long legs, and more confident. No matter what anyone else tells you the secret rule is true, believe you are beautiful and so will the rest of the world. However as much as I liked how I had changed, I knew I laughed less and crow's feet were beginning to form under my eyes. Time was going by faster and faster.

I pulled up to the local DX station that was near my aunt's house to fill up my rented station wagon. "Hello?" I called as I entered the building to pay. A man came in from the garage.

"Well I'll be!" the man said. He was wiping his greasy hands with a rag and he looked vaguely familiar. I cocked my head to one side as I dug in my purse for money to pay for the tank of gas. Finally it hit me.

"Steve?" I asked as I handed over the money. He nodded and shook my hand. It was hard to believe it was the same Steve I had known at fifteen. He was still tall and lean and sort of cocky. But I saw his age in the worry and laugh lines on his face. And his hair was different. Ten years ago he had his hair greased into swirls that he took pride in. Now his hair was shorter and cleaner cut. I guess even greasers have to grow up sometime.

"Hey Soda! Guess who finally showed up?" Steve called to the back.

"Soda works here too?" I asked Steve before Soda came barreling in from the back at lightning speed. He came around the counter and scooped me up into a big hug and spun me around. I laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

"Miss Roxanne, I missed you!" he said setting me down and grinning. Soda looked more or less the same; his face was still reckless and thoughtful at the same time. But it looked older and more worn. But that smile was still the one that he grinned at seventeen.

"I missed you guys too. It's been too long." I said as Steve handed me a Pepsi. I smiled. "What are you guys up to?"

"Well we own the DX together now." Soda said. I smiled. I knew that they were happy about owning the station they had worked at when they were seventeen.

"And Soda is living with his girlfriend." Steve said.

"Really? Do I know her?"

"No, her name is Erika. I met her five years ago. But that isn't as exciting as Stevie getting married." Soda said ruffling Steve's hair.

"Congradulations! Is it Evie?" I asked. Steve nodded and smiled but Soda pursed his lips together and was quiet for a moment. I knew he was thinking about that night at the fair when Sandy had broken up with him over something Evie had said to me. That night still was clear in my mind. I cleared my throat, "I'm sure you to are very happy. Do you have any kids?"

"Yeah, we do. Ian is 7 and Becky is 5." Steve said taking out his wallet to show me pictures.

"You can really see Evie in them." I commented handing the pictures back with my left hand. Soda cocked his head to one side as he took hold of my hand.

"Miss Roxanne why didn't you say you were married?" he asked. I bit my lip as he and Steve whistled over my rock. I took my hand back and studied my ring. It wasn't anything spectacular but it was very special to me. I moved my hand slightly, letting the diamond catch the light from the window. It sent little rainbows all over the counter and I smiled fondly at it for a moment.

"I haven't gotten married…yet. I'm just engaged." I said digging through my purse for the picture of my fiancé Daniel and me. We were on Lake Erie on his boat. My head was resting on his shoulder and he was looking at me and not at the camera.

"Wow. Our little Roxie's getting married to real catch." Steve commented, referring to the boat. "When's the wedding?"

"Next May. You all will have to come of course. I haven't picked out my invitations yet though but you are all invited."

"Does Dally know?" Steve asked. He always did have a thing for not thinking before he spoke. I bit my lower lip.

"No." I said putting the picture back into my bag. I didn't say anything more. Steve and Soda glanced at each other. I cleared my throat and asked questions about Ian and Becky to change the subject but Soda looked over to me and gave me a meaningful glance.

Although I was glad to see my old friends, Dally was part of the reason I was dreading to come here. I knew I would have to tell him but I was scared to. Dally had been my first kiss, my first love. We had written to each other for a few years but then lost touch after my sophomore year in college. Then I met Daniel one night at a frat party and we fell in love. I hadn't received a letter from Dally in seven years. For all I knew he didn't live in Tulsa anymore. Or maybe he was married and no one bothered to tell me.

Half an hour later I left the DX to go to my Aunt's house. As I pulled up in front of it I heard someone calling my name. It was coming in the direction of the Curtis's old house. I squinted to see that it was Olivia. It had to be her with the short black hair and tall frame.

"OLLIE!" I squealed as she ran to the gate.

"ROXIE!" she screeched back, opening the gate. I embraced her tenderly. She was one of the closest things I've ever had to a sister. "I was wondering when you'd be coming. Are your parents here?"

"No. They moved down to Florida a few years back. They aren't in the best of shape and the doctor said that it wouldn't be good for them to travel. So it's just me." I said glancing over to my Aunt's quiet house. I bit my lower lip and Olivia hugged me again. She brushed a tear out of the corner of her eye and then tried to smile.

"Come on Roxie, Darry will want to see you." Olivia said taking my hand and leading me into the house. The Curtis's house looked much nicer than it had ten years ago, maybe it was the fact that a woman lived there now and not just three parentless boys. Things looked less beat up and I noticed there was a lock on the door now. Darry came from around the corner and he smiled. He looked the same, only older and more worried, if that was even possible. But his eyes were no longer like ice; I guess it took being a father to make them melt.

He squeezed me tightly and then held me out at arms length, studying me. "Roxanne Parkinson you look very grown up."

"Thank you Darry. Now where are Haven and Halley? I need to see my nieces!" I said. Olivia called for them and two little girls entered the room from Ponyboy's old bedroom. Haven, who was 8, looked like Darry with her coloring and her eyes the same color as his, although hers were warmer. Halley, who was 6, looked like her mother with her dark hair and but her eyes were her father's. Haven was bolder than her little sister who was very shy.

"Haven, Halley, this is your Aunt Roxie. She's friends with me and Mommy." Darry said. Haven came over and gave me a warm hug; she was definitely her mother's daughter. Halley was much more guarded. She clung to Darry like Velcro and buried her face in his pants leg.

I stayed for dinner. We made idle chitchat about Daniel, my wedding, Darry's roofing company, and Haven and Halley. There was no mention of Aunt Candace in the conversation and for that I was glad. I needed to think about one thing besides that for at least a half hour.

After dinner I bid the Curtis' goodnight, I was tired and besides they had to put Haven and Halley to bed, so I headed over to my Aunt's house. For a moment I stood out in the street, the exact place I had been when I had received my first kiss from Dallas Winston. I shook my head, scolding myself for thinking about him and got my suitcase out of the trunk. The gate was rusty; I would have to ask Darry to oil it for me.

I knew the path from the gate to the front door very well. I knew it took exactly eighteen steps. I hoisted my bag up the steps onto the porch and then dug around my purse for the key I had received in the mail. After finally finding it I slid it easily into the lock and swung open the door.

My Aunt Candace had died from a heart attack. She was sitting at her drawing board in her sunny art room when she slumped over. Ponyboy had been the one to find her. He was going over to see if she needed him to run any errands for her. In her will Aunt Candace had left everything to me: her house, all the money from her card making company, all her stuff, everything. I arrived in Tulsa two weeks later to plan the funeral and go through her processions.

I choked back sobs as I drug my suitcase into the spare room, the one I had stayed in when I had stayed with her ten summers ago. I called Daniel briefly to let him know I was there. He was a busy doctor and he couldn't get away from work to come to the funeral, which was in two days. But he promised that he would try and come to help me sort through Aunt Candy's things if he could one weekend.

After I hung up with Daniel I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. I allowed myself to cry freely, until I fell into a restless sleep.


	2. Seeing Him Again

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

**Banana4422:** Thank you. I hope you like this chapter as well.

**Dakota:** Thanks. Well, let's just say Dally is less than pleased with Roxie's upcoming marriage. But he never has been one to take things lying down…

**oOoDancingQueenoOo:** Yes, I probably should have mentioned in my author's note that this story is a lot sadder than the first Keeping the Moon. There's a lot more drama in this one, and some heartbreak. I hope you like it though!

**Tk421beth:** I'm glad you liked the first Keeping the Moon. I hope you like this one too, although I must warn you that this one is a little different, it's got a lot more drama and angst in it.

**Cute-amiga:** Thank you. I'm glad Roxy ended up with Dally in the first one too. It took me a while to realize they were perfect for each other though. If you hate Soda in ships than I don't recommend my other story Black Roses Red. LOL. I can't tell you if she'll end up with Dally or not, because it will ruin the story, but I can tell you that she's not going to run off to Mexico with him and have 40 kids. LOL. I'm very flattered that you think I'm a wonderful writer! I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

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**Author's Note: This was a hard chapter to write because I've never really been to a funeral so if it's not up to snuff I'm sorry. This story will be a lot sadder than the first Keeping the Moon, just to let you all know. I like the style better than Keeping the Moon; it's darker and more enjoyable to write. I hope you like it too!**

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**Chapter Two: Seeing Him Again**

I woke up the morning of the funeral to find Tulsa was under a blanket of dark storm clouds and a dull drizzle was pattering at the windows. "How fitting," I mumbled as I pulled my black dress out of the closet.

After I showered and blow dried my hair I pulled it on. I hadn't worn it in a while but it still fit alright. I didn't bother to put on any makeup, I knew I would cry it all off. I didn't bother with breakfast either, my stomach hurt, so I made myself a cup of peppermint tea and tried to relax. Darry and Olivia were having everybody over afterwards so I didn't need to worry about preparing any food.

"Foxy Roxy." Two-Bit shouted across the parking lot of the church. I slammed the station wagon's door and looked over to where the voice was coming from. He hopped out of his car and came over to me in the parking lot of the church. I smiled at the nickname as he hugged me tightly. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm as good as I could be considering. How are you Two-Bit…or are you going by Keith now?"

"The gang still calls me Two-Bit but around the office I'm Keith."

"Two-Bit Matthews is finally a working man." I said, some what surprised. He chuckled. Two-Bit was the one person I expected to stay the same but even he had changed. His long rusty sideburns were gone. He was clean shaven and his hair was in a crew cut. And the Two-Bit I had known ten years ago didn't work or have a job. But his infectious laugh still remained the same as ever.

"Yea well I have to put bread on the table somehow or we'd starve."

"Who's we?" I asked. A tall leggy blonde got out of Two-Bit's car. She smiled sadly at me.

"Hello Roxie," she said. I glanced at Two-Bit with my mouth hanging open.

"Trisha?" I exclaimed. She nodded and I gave her a tight hug. She was probably the most influential person in my life. She had turned me from an ugly duckling into a swan when I was fifteen. She was the one who taught me to secret rule that you can be beautiful if you only believe in yourself.

"I'm so sorry Roxie," she whispered my ear. I nodded and brushed a tear away from my cheek.

"Why didn't you two tell me you were together?"

"We've only been together for six months and we've been living together for two." Trisha said her eyes fixed to my ring. "Now why didn't you tell us that you were getting married?" she asked taking hold of my left hand. Two-Bit let out a piercing wolf whistle as he examined it.

"Does Dally know?" Trisha asked suddenly. I shook my head.

"I haven't had contact with Dally in years…for all I know he's married." Trisha shook her head as we started to head into the church. Two-Bit said putting one of his arms around Trisha's waist and one around my shoulders.

"I think he's holding out for you. But I guess someone beat him to it huh?" Two-Bit said squeezing my shoulder. I shook my head at him.

I was ambushed by people telling me how sorry they were for my aunt's passing. Soda and his girlfriend Erika were there. She was a nice girl, who reminded me of Sandy with her baby blue eyes and sweet voice. Steve was there with Evie and their children. Evie shook my hand and I knew that the past was behind us when she complimented my hair. Two-Bit and Trisha sat with Olivia, Darry, and their girls. Johnny was there with his red-headed wife Kelly and their little boy David who was quiet and dark just like him. And so was Ponyboy with his wife Nancy.

Right before the service was due to start we took our seats. I sat beside Soda and Erika. I was talking to Erika about my job at the newspaper when somebody sat down beside me.

"Hello Roxie," he said. I glanced over beside me and my jaw dropped. Dallas Winston pulled me into a hug which I returned, stunned that he had shown up. I never would have expected him to be the type of guy to go to funerals. Two-Bit gave me a knowing glance and Soda concealed my engagement ring from Dally's view.

Dally was the one person in Tulsa who had stayed the same. The only thing that had changed about his appearance was a faint beard that made him look more serious and grown up. It felt scratchy when he kissed me. But I didn't have much time to dwell on it as the funeral started.

I tried my best not to cry but it ended up happening anyway. I wasn't the only one though, Ponyboy and Johnny had tears streaming down their faces, Darry bit his lip until it was blood red as he stared firmly at the pew in front of him, and Soda let himself bawl. Olivia's tears ran down her cheeks and into Halley's hair while Trisha had her head buried in Two-Bit shoulder.

Dally wrapped his arms around my shoulders and I rested my head on his shoulder, letting my tears fall onto his white dress shirt. I tried to concentrate on the funeral but I couldn't help but be a little conscious of Dally's arms around me and the way he would occasionally kiss the side of my head. It would have been something Daniel would have done if he was there.

"I missed you Roxie," he whispered in my ear.


	3. After the Funeral

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.**

**oOoDancingQueenoOo:** well not everyone is married, Two-Bit and Trisha are only dating, well they live together. Same with Soda and his girlfriend, but whatever. I'm sorry I made you sad!

**TWbasketcase:** I totally forgive you for not reviewing the first chapter. LOL. I'm glad you like the pairings. I like them too. Dally is not going to jump right back in like everything is back to normal, you don't have to worry. I would never do that. And he is definitely hella mad when he finds out that Roxie is engaged! Although I really don't like the way I wrote it...

**Sodapop's#1gurl:** LOL. If Roxy wasn't engaged there wouldn't be much of a story. You'll find out how Dally reacts in this chapter.

**Caitym:** Ha-ha. Well there's no fight in this chapter but there could be in one of the later ones! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter.

**Tk421beth:** Glad you liked it!

**Author's Note: so I'm having a bit of writer's block with both of my stories. Gah. I don't know how that happened. But I worked a lot with this chapter so hopefully it's semi-okay. I don't know when I'll update Black Roses Red next because I have NO idea whatsoever about what's going to happen in the next chapter yet. Just be patient. I would never ditch my stories! Hope you like this chapter.**

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Chapter Three: After the Funeral**

The whole gang, plus their spouses and children, were over at the Curtis's house (even though it now belonged to Olivia and Darry it would always be the Curtis boys' house to me) after the funeral. Olivia had made a bunch of food but I wasn't hungry. While everyone was in the kitchen eating I remained in the living room, sitting on the sofa with my head in my hands.

"Miss Roxanne, mind if I join you?" I looked up to see Soda standing next to me. I shrugged and he sat down and put his arm around me in a brotherly manner. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, rubbing my shoulder.

"I should have come to see her last Christmas. I knew I should have. But Daniel wanted me to spend it with him and his family… I'm so selfish." I said, trying to hold back my sobs.

"You can't turn back time Roxie." he said brushing back my bangs. "You have to remember that your aunt loved you a lot. She loved you so much, like you were her own daughter. She always bragged about how pretty you were and how smart you were. She even made a greeting card character out of you!"

"It just hurts…" I said wiping some of my tears with the back of my hand.

"I know it does sweetie but you've got to remember the good times you had together. Like I know you would sit with her in her drawing room while she was working and not say anything, just watch her draw. I know that meant a lot to her."

"And watching _I Love Lucy_ together…" I managed. Soda nodded.

"There you go kid," he said as Dally entered the room from the kitchen, holding a plastic cup. Soda smiled at me and got up to go to the kitchen while Dally sat beside me, taking his place.

"Hi," he said softly. I folded my hands in my lap, hiding my ring and nodded to him. "So…"

"So?" I asked raising my eyebrows. He ran his hand through his hair and shifted uncomfortably.

"I've missed you Roxie. I mean really missed you."

"I missed you too." I said thinking back to college when I'd be sitting at my desk, trying to write a paper for one of my classes, when I'd look over at the framed picture I had of me and Dally together from the night of the eclipse. Aunt Candace took it. It wasn't the best picture, I had red eye and there was a blur in the back round that was Two-Bit, trying to jump into the picture. But still, every time I had looked at it my mind would wander to Dally. I'd wonder what he was doing at that exact moment while I was writing my paper. Maybe he was hanging with the gang. Maybe he was at the Nightly Double. Maybe he was asleep somewhere. But after I met Daniel I stopped wondering and that picture was taken out of its frame and put into my photo album.

"So what have you been up to?" he asked, setting his drink on the coffee table. I bit my lip and glanced down at my hand. I would have to tell him eventually.

"I'm engaged." I said softly. The words hung between us in an awkward silence. Dally swore under his breath and stood up. Without a word he left the house, slamming the front door behind him. I rested my chin in my hand and looked out the window, to watch him storm down the street. "I'm sorry..." I whispered to the empty room.

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**Author's Note: well? I know it's very short and it's not my best writing but hopefully it isn't _too_ awful...  
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	4. We Have Changed but We're Still the Same

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

**Tk421beth: **Thank you! I hope you like this chapter too.

**Cute-Amiga: **Evie will always be Evie. And she and Roxie will never get along. But since Roxie cares about Steve she'll put her animosity aside. That's not to say that there might not be an argument or two between them. I'm sorry I ended it so soon but I really couldn't think of anything else to add and it just seemed like an okay place to do it. I tried to make this chapter longer if that makes you feel better. Ha-ha. You'll just have to wait and see about Hawaii ;)

**TWbasketcase:** Thank you Kristen, that made me feel better. Dally didn't go rob a gas station after he stormed off. I think his robbing days are over. He might have beaten the tar out of some Socs though ;)

**Caitym:** Woah, I made someone almost cry with my writing. That is quite a compliment! Thank you! Hopefully you're no longer speechless. Ha-ha. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**ellina HOPE: **Aw, I'm sorry my fic makes you think about breaking up with your boyfriend! I'm glad you think that my fic could turn out to be good (as in well-written; although I can promise at least a semi-happy ending). I'll try my best to make it that way. I don't know if will be as good as the first one though. We'll see.

**Author's Note: I think I am finally over my writer's block! Yay! I tried my best to make this a little bit longer, it's not as long as the first few chapters but it is definitely longer than the last one.**

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Chapter Four: We have changed but we're still the same**

I rubbed my eyes as I awoke the next day. The morning sun was pouring through the gap between the curtains and the birds chirping outside. Mother Nature was mocking me, I could just feel it.

For a moment I didn't feel like getting out of bed, so I sat there in my satin pajamas and reflected. I thought about Aunt Candace, and how much she meant to me. But I tried, as Soda told me, to remember the good times we had shared, and not the blunders I had made.

After having what felt like my thousandth cry since I had arrived to Tulsa I got out of bed and took a quick shower and dressed in an old pair of jeans and a flannel shirt.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the house yet. A part of me wanted to keep it but I knew that Daniel would never want to live down here in Tulsa. He worked in that same hospital in Cincinnati since he got out of medical school and I knew he wouldn't leave it unless he really had to. But if I did keep the house it would sit empty down here, except for the couple times a year I would visit. On the other hand I don't think I could bear to see someone else living in my aunt's house, even if it was someone that I knew like Two-Bit and Trisha.

But one thing was for sure, the house really needed cleaning. My aunt had been a major pack-rat. Every inch of closet space was used up and I didn't even want to think about tackling the attic. So the day after the funeral I decided to start the cleaning of my aunt's house.

"Roxie! Roxanne, are you there?" The knocking on the front door came just after I had started making my breakfast. It came as somewhat of a shock because everybody I knew in Tulsa was probably at work.

"Dally?" I asked as I opened the door. There he stood pretty much looking and dressing the way he did when he was at seventeen, plus the beard.

"Roxie I need to talk to you," he said, his voice was low, the way it got when he was serious.

"Okay Dal. Do you want a cup of coffee?" I asked, semi-unsure about this. Yesterday Dally had stormed off on me without a word and now suddenly he wanted to talk.

"Maybe in a minute. I just need to tell you something," he said. I nodded and gestured toward the sofa where he sat down. I took the arm chair across from him, curling my feet up under me.

"Go ahead." I said, staring him straight in the eye. It was something that other people might have found difficult. Dally can be a bit frightening before you really get to know him but I had never had trouble meeting his gaze.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. It's just, I don't know. I had this idea in my head that you were still in love with me. And that, I don't know, maybe we would pick up where we left off. Pretty stupid of me, huh?" he said raking his hand through his hair. I shook my head.

"That's not stupid Dal."

"Well maybe it isn't but I shoulda known that you weren't going to wait around forever for me. A broad like you doesn't come around every day." Dallas smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Thank you Dally." I whispered. "I should have told you before I came. Maybe it would have been less of a shock if I did it in writing. I think you'll like Daniel. He's a good man, Dally. When he comes to see me do you think you could give him a chance?"

"Anything for you Roxanne." Dally said. I smiled before I stood up.

"Good, now that we've got that out of the way do you want some coffee?"

"One more thing Rox," he said, causing me to stop walking toward the kitchen. I raised my eyebrows and waited for him to continue. "If I can't be with you can we at least be friends?"

"Of course Dally." I smiled as he got up and followed me into the kitchen where we both drank a much deserved cup of coffee.


	5. We're Cool

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.**

**Tk421beth: **I'm not saying anything other than this story will have at least a semi-happy ending.

**oOoRikku4EveroOo: **Yes, those two kids are too cute for their own good.

**TWbasketcase: **There will be a nice big Dally style blow up soon. And Roxie is a bit naïve that way that she expects they can just be friends like that. But it took Roxie forever to realize she was in love with Dally in the first place so she's a little slow with these types of things…

**Ellina HOPE:** Dallas is a bit more mature now, but deep down he'll always be Dally so things aren't going to be going smoothly. And yea it's going to be very hard for him… Ha-ha, I don't think I'll make them get drunk. I'd say more about it but it would totally spoil it! Was the guy at your orientation hot like Soda and Dally?

**Gracie:** Thanks, I'm glad you like it.

**Sodapop's#1gurl:** Do you really think that Dally would like Daniel? LOL. And who says that they're going to meet? LOL. I love being sneaky like this!

**Babygurl33:** It's okay that you didn't beta my other story. I just decided that it's easier for me to update without a beta. Nothing personal! I'm sorry I made you cry! I don't want people to be sad. I felt rather bad for killing her off but I needed a reason for Roxie to go back to Tulsa. I know, a bunch of people are sad about Roxie and Dally but there is always hope ;)

**Cute-Amiga:** Yea I am. But that's a good thing right?

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**Author's Note: I believe an update is in order…so here it is. It's short, and I'm sorry for that. But I promise in the upcoming chapters it will be longer.

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**Chapter Five: After all we've been through I know we're cool**

Dally and I were both up in the sweltering hot attic, cleaning out junk. When Dally found out I was cleaning the house from top to bottom he offered to help, beings that he had nothing else better to do, and it helped that I was paying him. I was actually rather relieved that it was keeping him occupied. I had learned from Olivia that Dally really didn't have a job, he worked whenever the mood striked him or when he needed money. Dally never had been one to stick with one thing, he changed his mind about everything. Just as well because usually when he was growing bored with his job he would end up fired. Something that frusterated Darry to no end because it was usually Darry who got Dally the jobs he was fired from.

"So when did you get over me?" Dally asked as we went through box upon box of Aunt Candace's things. Most of the stuff was junk but there were some interesting things, like her diary from when she was sixteen years old. Dally and I had sat there for hours reading about this boy Aunt Candy liked, it was highly amusing.

I looked up from the box of pictures I was looking through and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. "I don't know…in college, when we stopped writing."

"So if we had kept writing do you think things would have turned out differently?" Dally asked, wiping the sweat off his forehead. I shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe…" I said thoughtfully as I dug through the box of pictures. "Hey look at this." I handed over the picture one of the only pictures of us together, Dally is hugging me from behind as we sit on the back steps the night of the eclipse. It's the same one that sat, framed on my desk through my first few years of college.

"Wow…" Dally said running his hand through his white-blond hair. He grinned. "I remember everything about that night."

"Oh really?" I said raising my eyebrows. "Well then what perfume was I wearing?"

"You smelled like vanilla," he said without hesitation. I frowned a little as I thought back. Was I wearing vanilla perfume that night? I couldn't even remember, how did Dally remember that? I thought it was women who were always hung up on little details like that. "You don't even remember do you?" he asked me, trying not to smile.

"Maybe…" I muttered, going back to the pictures. He let out a laugh before going back to his own pile of stuff he was going through.

"Hey Roxie?" he asked after a few moments of silence. I looked up.

"Yeah?"

"I never told you congratulations. So congratulations," he said. I bit my lower lip as I smiled.

"Thanks Dally. So have you been seeing anyone?" I asked. I couldn't help but be at least a little curious.

"Every now and then but nothing serious."

"Well there's a girl out there for you Dally. An amazing girl who's just perfect for you." I said. He nodded. "You'll find her someday, she's out there."

"Yeah," he said turning back to his pile. He thought I couldn't hear him when he muttered, "Only I've already met her and she's sitting here in this attic with me," but I did. And for one moment I was fifteen again, standing in the backyard with Dally holding my hand as the moon vanished from view.


	6. Girl Talk

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.**

**Tk421beth:** I can't give too much away about the ending but I'm pretty sure people will like it. I'm glad you liked the last paragraph, I like it too.

**Babygurl33: **I'm not saying they will get together but I'm not saying no either. You'll just have to wait and see.

**oOoRikku4EveroOo:** Dally can be rather cute sometimes when he tries to be. But don't forget he's still tough as nails Dallas Winston!

**Steph:** Maybe she will and maybe she won't…you'll just have read and find out.

**Ellina:** LOL, I can't say I'm wild about Dally shooting Daniel beings that he would go to jail and then he and Roxie couldn't be together anyways. Daniel is an okay guy. There's stuff about him in this chapter. LOL, I'm glad you didn't bruise when you ran into the door.

**TWbasketcase:** I'm not going to end it soon but I'm running out of stuff to happen before the climax. LOL. I think it will be okay though. The climax won't happen for a little while now. Dally will be having a blow up soon and yes Roxie is naïve. But that's part of who she is. Thank you for the praise!

**Sodapop's#1gurl: **LOL, I'm sure in your mind Dally and Roxie are very happy. And who says they won't end up together? They just might ;)

**Author's Note: Wow I got a lot of reviews for the last chapter. That's great. I'm sorry it took me a little while to get this chapter up but I'm having problems with this story. There's a really big thing coming up but I don't want it to happen yet, and I'm running out of stuff to happen before this big thing. So this chapter seems kind of like filler to me. Sorry for that but I don't want to rush the really big thing! LOL, and don't ask what the really big thing is because I won't tell you.**

**

* * *

Chapter Six: Girl Talk**

"Alright Roxie, what's going on with you?" Olivia asked, taking a sip out of her coffee mug. Olivia, Trisha, and I were sitting in the Curtis's kitchen; one of the rare moments we got to spend time just us three. Darry was at work and Haven and Halley were at school so the house was quiet.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, tracing the rim of my coffee mug with my index finger.

Trisha rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb Roxie. Two-Bit told me how Dally is helping you clean your aunt's house."

"Oh that?" I asked. They nodded. "There is nothing going on between me and Dally!"

"Roxie, come on! The guy has been madly in love with you since you came to stay here ten years ago. Do you really think he would forget all that?" Trisha asked. Olivia nodded in concurrence.

"We're just friends. He even said so himself!" I protested. Trisha rolled her eyes.

"Roxie do you really believe that?" Olivia asked. I nodded. "Roxie, we've known Dally longer than you. Trust us, he isn't over you."

"Okay so maybe he isn't totally over me. But that doesn't mean anything is going to happen. What kind of girl do you think I am?" I asked. Trisha and Olivia exchanged looks.

"Roxie darling we love you to pieces—," Olivia began.

"But you do sometimes let your heart rule your head." Trisha finished. My mouth dropped open.

"Are you two saying that I would let some stupid feelings for Dally that probably don't even exist anymore take over my feelings for Daniel, the man I love with all my heart?" I asked. Olivia bit her lower lip and stared into her coffee, not looking at me but Trisha had no trouble meeting my gaze.

"The thing is Rox, we don't think those feelings for Dally have completely gone away…" she said. I propped my chin up with my head and stared out the window, thinking.

"How do I know if the feelings are gone or not?" I asked, still looking out the window.

"Only you can answer that Roxie." Olivia said, patting my arm. I tore my eyes away from the window and looked at my friends. They seemed so much older and wiser than they had ten years ago, and yet I still sometimes felt like that lost fifteen year old girl who had no idea who she was.

Trisha seemed to sense my discomfort so she cleared her throat. "So Roxanne tell us about Daniel. You've hardly mentioned him at all and we want to know everything about him!"

I smiled, the way I did whenever I thought of Daniel. "Well he's a doctor in Cincinnati, he comes from a very wealthy family, and he used to play baseball…" I bit my lip, wondering if I should have said that Daniel plays baseball. But Olivia simply nodded with interest, her eyes didn't flicker and her smile didn't falter. She must really love Darry; I thought beings that you couldn't say the word baseball around her ten years ago without her bursting into tears. "Um…anything else you want to know?" I asked.

"Roxie, you've barely scratched the surface! What does he look like?" Olivia asked.

"Um…he's about six-foot-two and has a build like Darry's. His hair is brown and he has hazel eyes." I said, pulling a picture of us out of my purse to show them. Olivia raised her eyebrows and Trisha whistled.

"He's really handsome." Olivia said. "I bet he could even give Soda a run for his money."

"Yeah…" I said, taking the picture back, smiling fondly at it before I tucked it back into my bag.

"How did you meet him?" Trisha asked. I bit my lip as I thought back.

"I was a sophomore in college. It was right around the time Dally and I stopped writing to each other. I was really sad about it so my roommate, who was tired of me festering in our dorm every night, dragged me to a frat party. I looked like a wreck and all I wanted to do was go back to the room but my roommate didn't want to go so I just sat in the kitchen. Then Daniel came in the room. He sat down and started talking to me, and the next thing we knew it was two in the morning…"

"That's so sweet!" Olivia said. I smiled.

"Yes, it was. I didn't give him my number but he managed to find it anyway and he called me, right when I got back to my room. He asked me to go to one of the football games with him and we've been together ever since." I said, still smiling as I stretched out my hand, studying the diamond ring he had given me.

"He sounds just the opposite of Dally…" Trish said. I bit my lip as I thought about it. Dally cussed like a sailor on leave, smoked like a chimney and drank too much while Daniel attended church every Sunday with me, never swore, and was a nonsmoker because as a doctor he knew what it could do to your lungs. You couldn't find two different guys. And yet I loved them both, at one point or another.


	7. Surprise Vistor

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.**

**oOoRikku4EveroOo:** yes they are.  
**Christina: **LOL I can't tell you if she will or not, it would ruin the story.  
**Tk421beth:** This chapter does have Dally in it. I'm glad you liked my sentence, ha-ha. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like a guy like Dally, although I must admit I really didn't like him until I started writing fan fiction.  
**TWbasketcase:** I figured I needed to have more Olivia and Trisha in the story since they were a big part of the first one and they really hadn't been in this one yet, except for the first and second chapters. Good idea about Pony and Johnny. I kind of forgot about them. I think they will have to pay Miss Roxanne a visit in the next chapter. Thanks Kristen! Dally and Daniel meet in this chapter. I know you were looking forward to this happening. LOL.  
**Babygurl33:** Sorry the chapters are kind of short. I'm doing my best to make them longer. And no I can't put the big thing in this chapter, it's too soon. It will probably soon, like chapter nine or ten, maybe.  
**Caitym: **I can't tell you who she ends up with or it will spoil the story! And then what fun will be to read it if you know what's going to happen?

**Author's Note: About time I updated huh? Sorry you had to wait a little while. I was having a little bit of trouble with this but it's all good now. I really like this chapter, it's kind of long, which I assume you will enjoy. Also you get to meet Daniel for the first time. Exciting huh? Alright I know a bunch of you are probably wondering what this big thing is…and I can't tell you. It will ruin the story! However there is a kind of big thing happening in this chapter. But it is not THE big thing. LOL. Does that make any sense?  
**

**

* * *

Chapter Seven: A Surprise Visitor**

"How much longer is this cleaning thing going to take?" Dally asked restlessly. We were taking a break from the attic to eat a lunch of peanut butter sandwiches. Peanut butter was one of the only things I had in the kitchen besides milk and bread and beer that I had filched from Two-Bit and Trisha's house so I would have something Dally would actually like.

"I'm paying you, remember? Shouldn't you be glad it's taking a long time? You get more money." I said taking a sip of lemonade. Dally rolled his eyes.

"I guess…you could look at it that way. But it's taking forever!" he whined, teasing me. I balled up my napkin and threw it at him which made him laugh.

We were cleaning up when there was a knock on the door. "Who could that be?" I asked Dally who shrugged. I wondered into the living room to open up the front door.

"Hey baby girl," the guy at the door said. I opened the door and let out an earsplitting shriek.

Daniel dropped his suitcase on the threshold and scooped me up, spinning me on the porch. I laughed and squealed as he did so.

"Danny what are you doing here?" I asked after he set me down. I held the door open for him as he picked up his bag again, dropping it by the stairs. "I thought you had to work."

"I managed to get off for the weekend and I figured why not come down here to see my favorite girl." Daniel said. He tried to wrap his arms around me but I moved back, folding my arms across my chest.

"When are you going back to Cincinnati?" I asked. Daniel scratched his neck, looking out the window as opposed to me.

"Sunday…" he said. I pursed my lips. It was Friday afternoon which meant I only had a day and a half with him. "Baby, you know I can't control when I have to work. It's a miracle I got off for three days straight."

"I know. I just hate it when I only get to see you for a few days…" I said pouting a little. Daniel laughed and moved toward me. This time I allowed him to wrap his arms around my waist. He was kissing my neck as Dally walked into the room.

"Roxie, who's at the door?" he asked. I broke away from Daniel and bit my lip. It felt wrong kissing Daniel in front of Dally. Even though Dally and I had broken up a long time ago and Daniel was my fiancé and I could kiss him all I wanted it still felt weird to me.

"Um…Dally, this is Daniel, my fiancé." I said. "Danny, that's Dallas Winston. He's one of my closest friends here in Tulsa." I said. Daniel stepped forward to Dally and held out his hand. Dally shook it, but he looked at me the entire time.

"Well, since he's here I don't think we'll be working any more today. I'll see you later, Rox." Dally said throwing the beer can into the garbage can. He grabbed his leather jacket off the coat hanger.

"Nice to meet you." Daniel said. Dally nodded gruffly at him.

"Are you sure you don't want to say for dinner Dal?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, you'll want to be spending time with your fiancé. I'll come back on Monday." Dally said. He patted my shoulder as he past, going out the door without turning back.

* * *

"So how long have you known Dally?" Daniel asked as we were getting ready for bed that night. I buttoned the final button on my pajama top as I shrugged. 

"Since I was fifteen." I said not giving anymore information than I had to. Daniel raised his eye brows skeptically over the medical journal he was reading.

"Roxie was he that guy you had a thing with?" he asked. I nodded as I crawled into bed with him.

"Yeah. But that was a long time ago. We broke up right before I met you remember?" I asked picking up my book, written by Tulsa's very own P.M. Curtis. I didn't even know Ponyboy was a published author until I came to Tulsa but apparently he was. He had given me copies of all his books, signed and everything.

"So there's nothing going on between you and him?" Daniel asked, trying to sound casual, flipping a page. I put my book down and narrowed my eyes.

"No of course not! Dally knows we're engaged!"

"Then what was he doing here this afternoon?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

"Danny I told you. He's helping me clean my aunt's house." I said, picking up Ponyboy's book again.

"No you didn't." Daniel said.

"Yes, I definitely did. On the phone. The day we started doing it. And I've mentioned it a few other times too. You just don't remember." I said, annoyed.

"I guess you're right, sweetie." Daniel said, marking the page in his medical journal and putting it on the floor. I sighed, shutting Pony's book and turning off the light before snuggling under the covers with Daniel beside me.


	8. a Talk with Ponyboy and Johnny

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

**oOoRikku4EveroOo:** Yeah, I know it sounds a little over the top. Read the author's note and I think you'll get it.  
**Tk421beth: **Thanks but I didn't come up with Ponyboy being an author; I read a little interview with S.E. Hinton that said Ponyboy became an author. It also says that Soda dies in Vietnam which is very depressing, and Darry owns a construction company (I came pretty close with the roofing business!). As for Roxie and Daniel you'll just have to wait and see.  
**Silent Storm 2000:** I'm glad you like this story and the first one too. It's always weird when characters in stories have the same names as people you know.  
**Babygurl33:** it's fine that you want her to be with Dally. If I weren't writing the fic and knew what was going to happen I would want her to be with Dally too! But as I have said before you'll just have to wait and see.  
**TWbasketcase: **Ha-ha, yes Daniel is a little jealous. But when you think about it he kind of has a right to be. Johnny and Pony are in this chapter. And that big Dally blowup you have been waiting for is coming up soon. And that blowup leads to THE BIG THING (theme from 2001: Space Odyssey playing in the back round). LOL.  
**Caitym:** It's okay for you to want her to be with Dally. I would want her to be with Dally too, if I was reading this story as opposed to writing it.

**Author's Note: I hope you guys don't think Daniel is some controlling freak who's going to start hitting Roxie. Because he's not! I promise. He's just suspicious, that's all. He really does love her and, although you might hate him because he's one of the reasons Roxie and Dally can't be together, she loves him too. But more on that subject later. For now I think it's time the rest of the gang met Daniel. Don't you? I finally wrote a kind of long chapter!

* * *

**

**Chapter Eight: A Talk with Ponyboy and Johnny**

I bit my lip nervously as I knocked on the Curtis's front door. Daniel was leaving tomorrow and he had yet to meet any of my friends besides Dally so Olivia and Darry were throwing a little get together. I wondered if they ever got tired of their house being the hub of all the activities, but thinking back it always had been, and it probably always would be. Daniel stood behind me on the porch, with his hand touching the small of my back, a gesture that I had grown to love.

"Hey Roxie!" Olivia said coming to the door with Halley in her arms.

"Olivia, this is my fiancé, Daniel Albright. Danny, this is one of my best friends Olivia Curtis and her youngest daughter Halley," I said, kissing the top of Halley's head as Olivia shook Daniel's hand.

"It's nice to finally meet the famous Daniel we've been hearing so much about." Olivia said smiling.

"It's nice to meet you too. All Roxie can talk about on the phone is about her friends in Tulsa. Especially your two little girls." Daniel said smiling at Halley who buried her head in her mother's shoulder. She didn't like strangers that much; in fact she had only started warming up to me.

"Come on into the kitchen," Olivia said putting Halley down where she ran ahead of her mother into the kitchen where her sister and father were playing Go Fish. Darry stood up when he saw Daniel.

"So you're the lucky guy who's going to marry our Roxie…" Darry said shaking Daniel's hand. Daniel nodded. He wasn't fazed by Darry, who can be a little intimidating the first time you meet him, like most people were beings that Daniel was as tall and broad shouldered as he was. "Well you better treat her right because there is a whole gang of guys here that don't want to see her get hurt."

"Will do." Daniel said as the doorbell rang. Haven ran to go get it.

"Who's coming?" I asked Darry as Olivia bustled about getting the food ready. Darry shrugged.

"Two-Bit and Trisha, Ponyboy and Nancy, Soda and Erika. Johnny might not be coming because David has an ear infection and Kelly has to work, but he said if she got off early he would try and stop by. And Steve might show up but Evie took their kids to go see her grandmother in Texas. I think that's everybody…" Darry said distractedly as he cleaned up the Go Fish cards and handed them to Halley to go put back in the toy box.

"What about Dally?" I asked as Daniel came over and put his arm around me. It then came to me that Dally was the only one who didn't have a girlfriend or wife. He was the only one who hadn't settled down. Darry shrugged.

"Who knows? I told him about it but you know how Dally is. He'll show up if he wants to." Darry muttered, more to himself than to me.

* * *

"Hey Little Roxie," Ponyboy said winking at me as he sat down next to me on the back porch. The name Little Roxie brought a lump to my throat but I swallowed it and smiled at him. 

"Hey Pony."

"I just got done talking to Daniel. He's an interesting person," Ponyboy said taking a sip of his Pepsi. I nodded, leaning back on the palms of my hands. "He works a lot doesn't he?"

"Yes he does but he's a doctor…and doctors work a lot." I answered

"Does it bother you?" he asked. I cocked my head to one side in though. Did it bother me that Daniel worked a lot?

"I don't know…sometimes. I was disappointed he didn't come to the funeral. But he was so busy there was no way he could get away." I said. That was the first time I had ever said Daniel disappointed me out loud. I was about to add something as Johnny came out the back door and joined us.

"Hey Pony. Roxie, I just talked to Daniel. He's a good guy," Johnny said, in his quite voice. I nodded.

"Yes he is…" I said as I traced the rim of my beer can. I usually didn't drink but today for some reason I had reached for it instead of my usual soda.

"How long are you staying here Roxie?" Johnny asked. I shrugged. I really hadn't thought about it. I had taken a month off of work from the paper back home.

"I have two more weeks before I have to get back to work. But then I might try and come back before Christmas, just to make sure the house is okay…" I said jerking my head in the direction to my aunt's house, although I suppose it was my house now.

"What are you going to do with the house?" Ponyboy asked. I bit my lip.

"Well I know Daniel would never want to live here. He's too attached to the hospital he works at in Cincinnati. And I love my job at the paper; I don't think I could leave that, except for a really good reason. But I don't want to sell it. I can't bear to think of someone I don't know living in it." I said fiddling with my wedding ring.

"Two-Bit and Trisha might rent it from you. I think they said something about wanting to move out of their apartment." Johnny said. I shrugged and attempted to change the subject.

"Did Dal ever show up?" I asked. Ponyboy raised one of his eyebrows, doing a bad impression of Two-Bit.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason…I just wondered," I said. We made idle chitchat for a little while before I excused myself to go back inside. Talking to Ponyboy and Johnny had given me a lot to think about. I needed to talk to Daniel about the house. But I realized that this was not the weekend to do it. He would be leaving in less than twenty-four hours and I didn't want to spend that time arguing about the house that had once belonged to my aunt.


	9. You and Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

**Tk421beth: **Thank you!  
**Silent Storm 2000:** I will.  
**Cute-Amiga: **Don't tell anyone it's like that movie/book! It's a secret! LOL. But good job on being the first to figure it out.  
**TWbasketcase: **Thank you. Glad you picked up on them. There are more in this chapter.  
**Babygurl33:** Thanks.

**Author's Note: Alright this is kind of filler until Dally's blow up and the big thing. They both happen in the next chapter! Well Dally's blow up happens in the next chapter, and the big thing starts to happen at the end of the chapter but it's the same thing. I know you are all excited! LOL. School is a killer and I don't think I'll be updating as much because my work load is really heavy this year. I'm hoping to be updating every weekend, but I don't know how that's going to work out. We'll see. I don't own the song You and Me by Lifehouse. Although I wish I did because that is a pretty amazing song, even if it is played on the radio 24/7 these days. Anyway on to what you really want…**

**Chapter Nine: You and Me**  
_Cause it's you and me and all of the people  
With nothing to do, nothing to loose  
Cause it's you and me and all of the people  
And I don't know why  
But I can't keep my eyes off of you_  
- You and Me by Lifehouse

I bit my lip as I stood with Daniel in the airport. He was leaving today to go back to Cincinnati and I wouldn't be seeing him again for another two weeks. Goodbyes are always hard for me.

I remembered one from ten years ago where the guys, along with Olivia and Trisha, had come to bid me farewell at this very airport. Darry and Soda had given me brotherly hugs and Two-Bit said that I would always be his favorite girl. Olivia had burst into tears and Trisha kept blinking her eyes so her tears wouldn't smudge her makeup.

Saying goodbye to Dally had been the hardest of all. He had shuffled his feet while I was mushy and emotional. Dally never had been one to express his feelings in words. He mostly used actions. And that day was no exception. While he didn't tell me that he loved me, some how I knew when he had kissed me full on the lips for the last time.

"Roxie, baby, don't be so melancholy." Daniel said rubbing my shoulder bringing me back to the present.

"I'm fine…" I said, attempting to smile and sound in high spirits.

"No you're not. You're just saying that because it's what you're supposed to say," Daniel said. He knew me well, almost backwards and forwards. Or so he thought, and for the most he was right.

"Oh okay," I said rolling my eyes. He grinned, taking my hands in his.

"I'll miss you baby," he said bringing my fingers up to his lips and kissing them gently. I bit my lip again.

"I'll miss you too Danny." I said standing on my tip toes to kiss him.

We stood there, hugging and kissing each other until his flight was boarding. He reluctantly let go of me, picking up his suitcase from the ground and giving me a long kiss on the lips.

"I love you Roxanne," he whispered in my ear, his breath ticking my neck.

"I love you too Danny." I said kissing him one last time. He pulled away from me, walking backwards and waving before he handed over his plane ticked. I blew him a kiss before he vanished behind the doors to get on the plane.

Sighing I walked back to my rented station wagon. I didn't cry. Although goodbyes were always hard I never cried, except ten years ago when I said goodbye to Dally.

* * *

After I drove home I discovered someone had left me a package on the front porch. It was rather small, wrapped in brown paper and tied with some string. I furrowed my brow, wondering who could have left it for me. I tucked it under my arm and went into the kitchen to find the scissors to open it. 

As I pulled back the paper I realized it was a book. I smiled when I saw that it was one of Ponyboy's, his newest novel. I ran my hands over the cover and then flipped it open to see that he had written a note to me in it.

_I think you'll find these character's names familiar.  
Love, Ponyboy Curtis_

I laughed out loud when I read the inside flap to discover that the story featured a girl named Roxanne and her boyfriend named Dallas.

* * *

"Roxie?" Dally asked as he entered the house on Monday morning. He didn't knock or ring the bell, just came in unannounced, using the key under the doormat. I knew it was him without him speaking or even looking up from the paper. 

"I'm in the kitchen," I said taking a sip of my coffee while reading the newspaper. Dally came in the room in his classic leather jacket, the same one he had at seventeen, and a pair of worn jeans. He nodded to me before getting his own cup of coffee and sitting down beside me at the kitchen table.

"So..." he said spinning the lazy Susan. "What are we doing today?"

"The attic again. We've got all the junk cleaned out of it but now we need to clean the floors and windows." I answered, stopping the lazy Susan with my hand. Dally rolled his eyes over the rim of his coffee mug.

He finished his coffee before I did which was a daily occurrence because I was a slow coffee drinker. Most of the time he would head upstairs before I did but today he didn't. He sat in his chair reading the paper sideways with me for a few minutes. Then he picked up Ponyboy's book which I had left on the counter next to my purse.

"Hey! Did you see this?" he asked pointing to the inside flap and laughing. I nodded.

"Yeah I did." I said tracing the rim of my coffee cup with my finger.

"Pretty wild, isn't it?" Dally asked reading the first chapter. I shrugged.

"Yeah, but I don't know how happy Daniel's gonna be when he sees it." I said more to myself than to Dally. Dally looked up from the book with raised eyebrows.

"It's just a book Rox."

"I know. But Daniel doesn't really like looking back on his relationships before me. He wants to concentrate on the present and the future, but not on the past." I said, trying to explain. Dally shook his head.

"You can't forget your past Roxie. Even if Daniel wants you to," he said staring me right in the eye. "And I know you really don't want to forget the past. Because if you did you wouldn't have come back here."

"I guess…" I said, taking my last sip of coffee. Dally smiled at me.

"Let's get to work on that attic."


	10. Taking a Risk

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

**Silent Storm 2000:** Thanks, I will.  
**oOoRikku4EveroOo:** He's supposed to be that way.  
**TWbasketcase:** I hope you enjoy the Dally style blow-up, that's here just for you!  
**Tk421beth: **I can't tell you. I want it to be a surprise.  
**MadisonMohawksJD: **It will have a happy ending but I'm not saying anything else.  
**Babygurl33:** Thank you. The big thing starts to happen at the end of this chapter.  
**Tikagem:** Thanks, your review made my day!  
**Cute-Amiga:** Your prize is knowing what's going to happen and how it's going to end ;)  
**Sokkazukofan: **I'm glad you liked the first one. I think you'll like the end of this chapter very much.

**Author's Note: I'm up to double digits! Sorry for the lack of updates on both my stories. Things have been pretty busy lately. I'm really missing writing fan fiction! I'll try to update more soon. This is the long awaited chapter with Dally's blow up (I don't know how good his blow up is...but whatever) and the start of the big thing! I know you are all super psyched. Can you guess what the big thing is?**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Ten: Taking a Risk**

Cleaning out all the junk in the attic had taken a long time. Now Dally and I were concentrating on scrubbing it, top to bottom. Dally was less than pleased with this of course, cleaning really wasn't his thing. But he grudgingly washed the floors and windows.

I sat back on my heels, admiring the work I had done on a particularly cobwebby corner. Brushing my bangs out of my eyes I turned my head to where Dally was swearing under his breath as he cleaned the window. I snickered under my breath as I stood up, brushing off my frayed jeans.

"What?" Dally asked looking up from the window. His eyebrows were raised, making his icy blue eyes look bigger.

"Nothing," I smirked, feeling like I was fifteen again. "Want to take a break?" I asked, stretching my arms up over my head and yawning. We had already taken a lunch break but for some reason I wasn't in a working mood. Dally shrugged and tossed the rag he was using onto the floor with the other cleaning supplies.

He followed me down the narrow and steep stairway to the second floor and down to the first floor. As I passed the picture window in the living room I noticed that the sky had darkened, a thunderstorm was brewing.

"Dally I don't know if you should go home…" I said, pushing back the net curtains to get a better look outside.

"Come on Roxie…I'll be fine," he said. I raised my eyebrows and turned on the TV to the local news station. The weather girl was explaining that there was a severe thunderstorm was coming. Dally rolled his eyes, "Those weather people are always wrong," as lightning light up the darkened Oklahoma sky and thunder boomed.

"Always wrong?" I asked, crossing my arms. He raked a hand through his hair.

"Okay I stand corrected. I'll hang out here until it blows over."

"Good. Now you can help me find some candles incase the power goes out." I said smiling.

* * *

"What do you remember most about that summer?" I asked, taking a bite of one of the hard chocolate chip cookies on the plate in front of me. Dally's face creased with concentration as the candlelight flickered over it. I could see the flame reflected in his eyes. The power had gone out an hour ago, at seven o'clock at night, just after we had finished dinner. The storm raged outside. The old oak tree in the side yard kept scratching the window while the rain pounded on the roof. 

"Everything that we did together." Dally said. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm serious." I said throwing the rest of my cookie at him. He laughed. It was too early to go to bed so we were sitting on the floor of the living room with some candles and a plate of cookies in front of us. As always Dally and I never ran out of things to talk about. We soon started a game of Truth. It was like Truth or Dare but without the Dare. Olivia and Trisha had taught it to me that summer.

"I am too," he said seriously. I half smiled at him, as though I didn't believe him.

"Fine. It's your turn."

"Same question."

"Um…" I tucked my hair behind my ear as I thought. "Our kiss, right before the eclipse." I blushed even though Dally was well aware that he had been my first kiss.

"Your turn," he said, taking another cookie. I fiddled with the lid on my water bottle for a moment before speaking.

"What do you think of Daniel?" I asked. I don't know why I asked that. It just came out. Dally bit his lower lip, something that I did when I was nervous but I knew he only did it when he was trying to hold back his temper.

"I think…I think he's great. He's a great guy. Almost perfect. Just what you deserve Rox," he said, looking down at the candle and not at me.

"Dally…" I said, putting my hand on his arm. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm fine," he said bitterly, still not looking at me.

"Dallas Winston, I'm a girl. When we say we're fine, we're usually not. So tell me what's the matter." I said looking down so he would have to look me in the eye. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"God Roxie, you just don't get it do you?" he asked angrily throwing his empty water bottle across the room. He wasn't yelling exactly but he was very upset and his voice naturally rose. "How do you think I felt when I found out you were engaged? It fucking hurt, Roxie. And you didn't even realize it. You just happy little Roxie with your happy little Daniel. Did you really think I was over you? Just because I stopped writing you didn't mean I stopped loving you."

My jaw dropped open, I was speechless. "Dally did you just say…"

"Yea. I still love you," he grumbled, finally looking me right in the eye. I felt my breath intake, like it did right before the first time he kissed me. I bit my lip nervously as Dally brushed back my bangs, cupping his hand around my face. As he leaned towards me I felt my body tense up just like it did ten years ago. And as his lips touched mine I felt all the feelings I had for him back then come rushing back to me, making me feel light headed.


	11. Do I Regret It?

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.**

**MadisonMohawksJD: **I'm not saying Dally won't end up broken hearted. He might…**Sokkazukofan:** I'm glad it made you happy!  
**tk421beth:** I think cobwebby is a real word. It isn't coming up as misspelled on my spell checker so I assume it's a word. Your little dialog with Emilio made me laugh! I put Two-Bit in this chapter for you.  
**Silent Storm 2000:** Yeah she is a bad girl. Tsk tsk.  
**Tikagem**: Your version of the story made me laugh. I'm sorry but I don't think that will happen. But it will have a happy ending (for most of the people anyway).  
**oOoDancingQueenoOo:** Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.  
**TWbasketcase:** Ha-ha you got the big thing right! But I won't say it here just in case some people haven't figured it out yet. _Will Daniel stop being a perfect little prissy pants?_ LMAO. He might…he actually does something that's pretty cool. But I can't tell you what it is. Oh and congrats on putting your first Outsiders story up!  
**BodomsGirl:** Daniel's not cheating on her, sorry. Roxie may break up with him, she may not. You'll just have to wait and find out for yourself!  
**Babygurl33:** Good guessing! I'm glad it made you happy.  
**Caitym: **A lot of people her want to end up with Dally. We'll see what happens…

**Author's Note: I just got the new Outsiders DVD and I highly recommend you all go watch it. It's amazing. Especially the cast commentary. And I was happy to see that Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Patrick Swayze were all still hot. Yay for greaser hotness! Anyway on to the chapter:**

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Chapter Eleven: Do I Regret It?

The sunlight was pouring into the room through the gap between the curtains. I could distantly hear birds chirping as my eyes fluttered open. It wasn't until I yawned that I realized that my head was resting on Dally's bare chest. The events of the night before came flowing back to me and I smiled in spite of myself.

"Hey sleeping beauty," Dally said brushing my bangs away from my eyes. I cocked my eyebrow in a manner that would have made Two-Bit proud as I looked up at him.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Twenty minutes maybe, I dunno. I didn't wanna disturb you. It looked like you were havin' a good dream," he said scratching the back of his neck.

"I was. You'll never guess who it was about," I said as nonchalantly as possible. Dally rolled his eyes and kissed my forehead. I snuggled down next to him under the covers, taking in his distinct smell of aftershave and cigarette smoke. I loved that smell more than any other in the world.

As Dally and I lay there he gradually drifted off to sleep again but I stayed awake this time, feeling his heart beat pounding in my ear as I rested my head on his chest. This just felt so perfect. I had never felt this way around Daniel, even though I wanted to.

My mind began to wander and I began to think of Daniel. He would be at work by now. He was probably tending one of his patients, maybe even going into surgery, or perhaps sitting in the break room drinking a coffee before he made his rounds. I wondered if he was thinking about me or if his mind was on other things, like aortic valves and broken elbows.

* * *

Dally said he needed to take care of some things before the afternoon so after we had breakfast together he went off and did his thing. He promised me he would be back for dinner. Before he left he kissed me on the cheek, just like Daniel did. Only I could feel Dally's kiss right down to my toes, something that never happened with Daniel's pecks.

After Dally had gone I showered and got dressed. I needed to get out of the house so I decided to walk over and visit Two-Bit and Trisha since I hadn't been to see them in their house yet.

"Roxie!" Trisha said opening the door. She was still wearing her bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, a mug of coffee in her hand.

"Hey Trish," I said as she held the door open for me. I was greeted by a giant ginger cat that purred as it rubbed against my legs. "When did you get a cat?"

"Right after we moved here. He was a stray, kept hanging around the house. So Two-Bit started putting food our for it, and gradually it wormed its way into his heart and into our home." Trisha said throwing a look at the cat. She motioned for me to sit down at the kitchen table and she poured me a cup of coffee. The cat leaped into my lap and kneaded its paws into my thighs. Trisha laughed as Two-Bit came out of their bedroom, putting on of all things a tie.

"Hey Roxie, I see you've met Norman," he said scratching the cat behind its ears.

"Norman?"

"Ponyboy named it. I'm not sure who after. Some famous guy." Trisha said stirring sugar into her coffee.

"I see. Off to the salt mines, Two-Bit?" I asked, pointing to his tie. He stuck his tongue out at me as he attempted to retie his tie for the fifth time since he had walked into the room. Trisha sighed exasperatedly as she stood up and did it for him.

"Thanks baby," he said giving her a long kiss. I couldn't help feeling envious of them. They were so happy together, in their little house. Sure it was a smidge rundown and the yard was overgrown but they were content there together with Norman the cat. It was how I imagined life would be if Dally and I had ended up getting married. Daniel would never live like that. He wanted a two story Victoria house with gingerbread trim and a white picket fence.

After Two-Bit left Trisha propped her feet up on the table and studied me critically. "Now what's new with you Miss Roxanne?" she asked. I bit my lower lip. I knew I should tell Trisha what I had done with Dally, but somehow I couldn't. It wasn't that I was afraid of what she was going to say. Trisha didn't judge people like. I knew she wouldn't call me a slut or anything.

"Nothing. That was some storm we had last night, huh?" I said. Trisha nodded.

"Yep. Our power went out. Thunderstorms are really romantic don't you think?" she said. I looked over at her quickly.

"Uh…I suppose they are." I mumbled, biting at a hang nail on my index finger. Trisha took her feet down off the table and looked more closely at my hand.

"Roxie, you're not wearing your ring. Did something happen?"

"What?" I looked down at my hand. I realized that I had taken it off before we went to work on the attic yesterday, and I had never put it back on. "Oh, no. Nothing happened between me and Daniel. I just took it off last night when Dally and I were working on the attic. I forgot to put it back on this morning."

"Sure you did… Wait a second. Dally was at your house last night?"

"Well, yeah. We were working on the attic when the storm started and I didn't want him going out in weather like that so he stayed overnight…" I said trying to make it sound as innocent as possible. Trisha's jaw dropped.

"You didn't do what I think you did, did you?" she asked.

"Maybe…" I whispered. Her look of astonishment turned into that of excitement, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"That's amazing Roxie. I think he's much better for you than Daniel. Even though Daniel's pretty good looking we both know that Dally is hotter. And besides Daniel's too…conservative. You need a wild man, girl."

"A wild man?" I asked, wrinkling my nose. She laughed, but then her face fell a little when the seriousness of the situation seemed to kick in.

"Roxie what are you going to do?"

"I have no idea." I replied. I really didn't know what I was going to do. It was a complicated situation.

"Do you regret it?" she asked, brushing her long blonde hair out of her baby blue eyes. I thought a minute, scratching Norman behind the ears.

"Do I regret it?" I repeated out loud feeling Norman's purr against my stomach. "You know what…I don't think I do."


	12. Phone Conversation

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.**

**Babygurl33:** I can't tell you if she'll end up with Daniel. The only thing I can tell you is that in the end Roxie will be happy.

**BodomsGirl:** You can totally have Dally say the Sleeping Beauty line in your story. In fact I stole it from the book so it really wasn't my idea to begin with (he says it to Ponyboy in the church).

**Tk421beth:** Ha-ha yes I put Two-Bit in because he is so damn handsome! You can tell him that!

**Silent Storm 2000:** Yeah they did ;)

**TWbasketcase:** I told you I would have angst! I'm not as good at writing it as you though. LOL. I'll have another blow up (featuring Mr. Dallas Winston of course) just for you!

**oOoRikku4EveroOo: **She might. Or she might pick Daniel. No one knows…except for me…and someone else who figured out what I based my plot on.

**MadisonMohawksJD: **Thank you.

**Cute-Amiga:** LOL. I think a lot of people were having similar feelings.

**Miru Amai:** It's pretty cool to know that people are really excited about my writing.

**Sokkazukofan: **Glad you liked it.

**Author's Note: I've figured it out and there are only two more chapters of this story left, plus the epilogue. I think I'll have it done by Thanksgiving if I'm lucky. But that probably won't happen so it should be done by December. Anyway enough about that, let's get on with the chapter, which is what you really want…**

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Chapter Twelve: Phone Conversation

"Shh!" I hiss, holding my index finger up to my lips as the phone rang for the second time. Dally rolled his eyes at me as he got up off the sofa in the living room and headed upstairs. I reached for the phone, already knowing who it was.

"Hey baby girl," the voice on the other line said. Yep, it was Daniel. He always called at seven o'clock sharp, to ensure that I was finished with dinner.

"Hi..." I said fiddling with my engagement ring as I spoke. This was the first time Daniel and I had talked since Dally and I…well you know. I wasn't the world's greatest liar but I hoped over the phone Daniel wouldn't be able to tell.

"How are you?" Daniel asked.

"Fine. And you?" I asked, trying to keep my answers straight and to the point.

"I'm alright. I miss you too much though. I'm glad you'll be coming home this weekend," he said. I almost chocked on my salvia. He was right; I was going back to Cincinnati on Sunday…four days from now.

"I am too," I lied through my teeth as I ran a hand through my hair. "How's the hospital?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"It's alright. Betty told me to tell you hello." I smiled at the thought of the old nurse who was my parents' age. Daniel was as good as a son to her and she had taken a special liking to me when I went to visit Daniel at work once.

"Oh well tell her hi back for me." I said.

"So how are things down there?"

"Good. We had a nasty storm the other day but nothing was damaged too badly. Dally and I finally finished with the attic. It's a great room. It's all painted and nice. All the things we're keeping we moved down to the cellar so the attic can be turned into a bedroom or something."

"An attic bedroom would probably make people want to buy the house more. That's good considering the neighborhood it's in." Daniel said offhandedly. My jaw dropped although he couldn't see it.

"What are you saying Danny? That my aunt lives in the shitty end of town?" I said bitterly. I hadn't sworn in so long around Daniel…he didn't approve of it. But it slipped out.

"Well Roxie you have to admit it's not the best end of town. I wouldn't want to raise a family there. There looked to be a lot of gangs." Daniel said. His tone had changed from soothing to a little more abrasive.

"Hey! My friends were in that gang when they were teenagers. And they all turned out alright. They all have jobs." I protested.

"I'm not saying your friends are bad people baby. I'm just saying a family isn't going to want to raise kids there." Daniel said.

"And what's all this about selling the place?" I asked acrimoniously. "Who said anything about selling it?"

"Baby you know we can't have two houses…" Daniel said trying to reason with me but I wouldn't let him.

"This house is mine. I have the right to do whatever I want with it!" I said loudly. Daniel and I had never really fought about anything before, and now here we were arguing over the phone.

"Roxie be reasonable. What are you going to do with a house down there? I know it was your aunt's and you want to hang on to it but you can't hold onto her things forever."

"What if I want to live down here?" I asked. I could practically see Daniel rubbing his temples.

"Roxanne you have a wonderful job at a newspaper here that I know you don't want to leave. And I'm here. Don't I matter?"

"Yes. But I should have some say in where we live." I said feeling childish.

"You do. But you have to be reasonable. There's nothing for me in Tulsa. There's nothing there for you Roxie that you can't get here," he said. I bit the inside of my cheek hard as he said this.

"What about my friends?" I asked. "Daniel I've known them for ten years. They're like family to me. You just don't find people like them everyday."

"…I guess." Daniel mumbled, knowing all too well that if he continued to press the situation about the house I would get even more steamed at him. "I have to go baby if I'm going to get up in my shift in time."

"Okay." I said twirling the phone cord around my wrist.

"I'm sorry we had an argument sweetie," he said into the phone. I smiled.

"I am too. I guess I'm just in a bad mood." I said looking up as Dally came back down the stairs, obviously hearing that my conversation was wrapping up.

"It's okay baby. I'll talk to you tomorrow alright?"

"Okay." I said as Dally sat down next to me, resting his feet on the coffee table.

"I love you Roxie." Daniel said.

"Love you too." I said quickly as I looked over at Dally. His eyes were blazing slightly but he kept quiet.

After our goodbyes were finally finished and I hung up the phone I looked over at Dally. I bit my lip as he said, "We need to talk."

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Dun Dun Dun! Cliffhanger!**


	13. Decisions

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders.**

**Nycgal5490: **I know not a lot of people are fans of cliffhangers but it seemed like a good place to end the chapter.  
**Cute-Amiga:** You might like Daniel, because he does something kind of cool.  
**Miko Yamaguchi: **How did you manage to kidnap Dallas Winston?  
**Babygurl33: **I love Dally too. And so does Roxie, at least she does right now…  
**Miru Amai: **You don't have to beg. She might end up with Dally. Or she might go back to Daniel. Only I know for sure.  
**Sokkazukofan: **LOL, I know.  
**Silent Storm 2000: **I'm like the Energizer Bunny…I'll keep going and going and going…  
**Turquoise Girl: **It was a little shorter than usual with the word count, and also it was practically all dialogue so it seemed shorter because of that too. Getting reviews like yours make me want to update sooner.  
**TWbasketcase: **Aw, thanks so much Kristen. Your review made me very proud of what I wrote. I still think you're the queen of angst, morbid psycho or not.  
**Tk421beth: **Emilio likes me! He is damn handsome. If I ever met him I don't think I would be able to say anything, I would just stand there and stare. And then he would think I'm crazy.  
**The Dancing Egg: **Great name! Your user name and your actual name. I love the name Claire; the main character in my other Outsiders fic (Black Roses Red) is named Claire. I was almost named Claire. You really didn't need to know that did you?

**Author's Note: Two more chapters and an epilogue left! I know I've been neglecting Black Roses Red but it will be updated, I promise. And happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the United States.**

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Chapter Thirteen: Decisions

I bit the inside of my cheek in nervousness as Dally plowed his hands through his white-blond hair. He hadn't said anything for a few moments but I knew better than to say anything until he spoke.

"Roxie, I don't know if I can do this anymore," he said finally. I could hear the frustration in his voice.

"Do what?" I asked, already knowing the answer to my question.

"This…" he gestured at himself and then at me. "Us… Roxie what's going to happen when you go back home?"

"I…I don't know…" I said shaking my head. Dally sighed and rubbed his temples.

"You need to figure it out," he said, getting up of the sofa. He kissed my forehead before he grabbed his leather jacket off its coat hook and headed out the front door. He didn't say goodbye or where he was going or anything. But that was Dallas Winston.

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The first thing I did after Dally left was run to Two-Bit and Trisha's house. I could have simply walked next door to talk to Olivia but I didn't. Although I loved Olivia like a big sister I knew already what she would tell me to do: follow my heart. I didn't really feel like hearing that advice at the moment so I sprinted to Trisha's with nothing but Aunt Candice's old fuzzy slippers on my feet.

I banged on the door as hard as I could while I was catching my breath. A moment later the door opened to reveal Trisha. She cocked her head to the side as she let me in. Norman the cat was curled up in the easy chair by the coffee table. I couldn't see or hear Two-Bit so I had caught Trisha home alone. Finally when I cooled down she spoke.

"You have to chose, don't you?" she asked sitting down on the worn plaid sofa in the living area of the tiny house. I nodded mutely. "And you don't know which one to pick so you came here to have me tell you what to do, right?"

"Well…yeah." I said. Trisha curled her legs up under her and pulled the elastic out of her hair. She sighed and looked at me sadly.

"Roxie I can't tell you what the right decision here is. Only you know that in your heart," she said. Maybe I would have been better off going to Olivia's house, I thought.

"But don't you have an opinion?" I prodded.

"Oh course I have an opinion Roxie! But I can't give it to you. Because what I think you should do doesn't matter. I can't make the choice for you, neither can Daniel, or Dally." Trisha didn't budge. There was no way I would get a straight forward answer out of her. I swallowed and sat in silence for a few moments before Trisha spoke again.

"Do you love Dally?" she asked, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. I nodded.

"Yes, very much." I said softly.

"Do you love Daniel?"

"Yes, I do." I admitted. "I love him dearly, but in a different way. I don't feel the same way with him as I do with Dally."

"No one can ever do that." Trisha said simply. "I can't make this decision for you Roxie. I want you to know that I love you and Two-Bit loves you and everybody else down here loves you very much. I know that it doesn't help much but it's all I can tell you."

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After saying goodbye to Trisha, who gave me a hug and wished me luck,I walked home quickly, it was getting cold. When I finally reached the house I could see Dally sitting in the living room. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I could faintly taste blood as I opened the unlocked front door.

Dally was sitting in the easy chair smoking a cigarette. As he exhaled he looked at me through the smoke with raised eyebrows. "Did you choose?" he asked.

"Yes." I said in a voice hardly above a whisper, sitting down on the couch. He put his cigarette out in a coffee cup I had given him to serve as an ashtray and then looked at me expectantly. This is it, I thought as I took a deep breath.


	14. Hardest Thing I'll Ever Have To Do

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders**

**Author's Note: Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been rather busy over the last few weeks. Right now I'm trying my hardest to write as much as I possibly can in my free time so I can have both this story and Black Roses Red done by New Years. And this time I'm really going to try and make that happen. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to give you all personal comments anymore unless I reply to your reviews when I get them. However I didn't know about this and I had deleted all of my reviews. So there will be no personal messages in this chapter, sadly. But next time I promise I will! So you guys want to know who Roxie picks, don't you? Well here you go:**

_This chapter is dedicated to tk421beth for being the 100th review. I gave up my naked Emilio for her because I know she's always wanted one (however I get to keep Rob Lowe!)._

Chapter Fourteen: Hardest Thing I'll Ever Have to Do

"First I want to let you know that I love you. I think I always will," I said after a moment. There, that was easy. Dally smiled at me and I continued. "And second I want you to know that this is the hardest decision I've ever had to make. But I have made one." I said, pausing to take another deep breath. This part was harder than I thought it was going to be. Dally leaned forward in his chair, waiting for me to continue.

"In order for me to make a decision I had to think about what I want. Not what Daniel wants or what my parents want or what you want but what I want. And I decided that I want a happy ending. And to me that means you." I said. He grinned and made to lean forward and kissed me but I leaned backward, away from him. He cocked his head and looked confused. Taking yet another deep breath I began to continue. "But I also don't want to hurt anyone, especially Daniel. I care about him a whole lot. Maybe not as much as I care about you but it's still there and I can't neglect that. If I stayed here with you it would really hurt him. And it would hurt my parents and all my friends in Ohio. I don't like hurting people."

"Yes you do." Dally said. I raised my eyebrows. "You liked hurting Evie didn't you?" he clasp his hands behind his head and smirked at me.

"Dally, I was fifteen. And she hurt me first." I said. Then trying to get myself back on topic I continued with my speech. "No matter what I chose I have to live with it forever. I can't look back on it. I don't want to go my whole life questioning what would have happened if I had chosen differently."

"Roxie we're adults now. You belong here, with me. Stay with me," he said as he took my hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.

"I don't think I can," I said in a voice hardly above a murmur.

"Sure you can, Roxie!" Dally said. He was trying to sound sure of himself but then he looked over at me. His eyes were filled with disenchantment and when he spoke his voice was shaky. "You're not staying, are you? You want to but you can't."

"Dally, please try and comprehend…" I said, the tears in my eyes starting to fall. Dally took his hand away from me and stood up. He walked over to the wall and cuffed it hard, but it didn't leave a dent. Finally he looked over at me.

"Damn it Roxie! I don't want to comprehend! I don't want to comprehend something that means we have to be away from each other." Dally shouted, storming upstairs swearing all the way. I could hear his feet stomping over head as he slammed as many doors as possible. I broke down crying on the sofa, hugging one of the cushions to my chest. It was just your normal crying either. I was sobbing, I gasped for breath and hiccoughed like a three year old, not bothering to wipe my tears because if I did they would just be replaced with new ones.

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I ended up falling asleep on the sofa, curled on my side like a kitten. I woke up disoriented because I wasn't in my bed and I was wearing my clothes from the day before. Dally had put a blanket over me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hear him anywhere in the house.

"Dally?" I called out, standing up and throwing the blanket over the back of the sofa. I realized I had a headache from crying so much and when I walked past the hall mirror I saw that my hair was mussed.

After searching the house I realized that Dally had gone. Sighing, I ambled into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. While it was brewing I picked up Ponyboy's book which was still sitting on the counter, I had only read the first three chapters. I opened it up and started to read from where I had last left off.

* * *

I ended up reading all day in the living room. Dally hadn't come back and I was in no mood to go out looking for him. I knew him well enough to know that he would come back when he was ready, and that would be for a while.

I was at the beginning of the very last chapter when somebody knocked at the door. It annoyed me because the murderer was just about to be revealed. I marked my place and stood up, walking to the door and wondering who in the world was there. It couldn't have been Dally. He never knocked, and besides he was still stewing, he wouldn't have come back yet.

When I opened the door my breath caught in my throat as the person standing there said, "Surprise."


	15. Eplilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders.**

**Author's Note: I hope you have all enjoyed Roxie's journey as much as I have. It's a little hard to drawl the curtain on her life, as she's been a part of mine for quite some time now. However I am quiet happy on where she has ended up and I hope you will be too.**

**I know I've been gone for a long while. School was keeping me real busy, along with my lovely boyfriend of a month tomorrow, Andrew. I just needed a break from fan fiction but now I'm back. I know my writing is a little rusty but I hope you enjoy the final chapter of Keeping the Moon 2. Also in case you haven't noticed, Black Roses Red has been taken down. It was taken down because I put song lyrics in the story. However it's no big deal because I was going to rewrite it anyway. It will be out sometime in the future. And it will be better this time around, now that I'm actually falling in love I know what it feels like, and I think it will make my writing a whole lot better.**

**Anyway please send me your feedback on this story, I really enjoyed writing it. And Again I'm sorry for my absence.**

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Epilogue: Five Years Later

I smiled as I tucked my four year old son into bed. "Goodnight Austin." I said softly kissing his forehead. He mumbled something incoherent as he turned onto his side, pulling his blanket up over his shoulders.

I shut his door quietly behind me and crept down the stairs from the finished attic to the second floor, opening the door to the nursery where my two year old daughter lay in her crib. She didn't stir as I leaned down and kissed the top of her head, feeling the fuzziness of her white-blonde hair against my lips. "Sweet dreams Paris." I said softly.

I went downstairs to the living room. As always the first things in the room I looked at were my pictures. They were lined up on the fireplace mantel. Each one was special to me. Our family portrait; the picture of Olivia, Trisha and me laughing at Olivia and Darry's wedding because Two-Bit had made a goofy face just as Johnny had clicked the camera button; Austin holding Paris the day she came home from the hospital. But my absolute favorite had been taken fifteen years ago. It was creased in some places behind the glass because for a time it had not been my favorite picture and I had stuffed it in a photo album. However now it had a place of honor in the center of the mantelpiece. I smiled at it fondly as I looked to see my husband sitting in one of the armchairs reading P. M. Curtis's latest novel. An old episode of _I Love Lucy_ was playing softly on TV. It was my favorite, the one where Lucy and Ethel go to work at the chocolate factory.

"Hey," my husband said dog-earing his page before closing the book and pulling me down into his lap. "Look what it is," he said raising his chin the direction of the television set.

"I see that." I said as I leaned against him, smelling that sweet smell of aftershave and cigarettes that could only be described as him. It followed him everywhere he went and his car reeked of it. It clung to all his clothing, and our sheets. But while other people might have turned their noses up at the odor I loved it. He kissed my neck softly, sending an avalanche of shivers down to my toes no matter how many times he had done it. "Do you realize what today is?" I asked.

"Of course," he answered. We were quiet a moment, both remembering that day five years ago.

* * *

Daniel had come to all the way to Tulsa just to apologize for the fight we had over the phone. He came to take me back to Ohio. I had made my decision so I packed my bags and said my goodbyes to the gang, promising that I would be back in a few months to check on the house. The only person I didn't get to say goodbye to was Dally. Nobody knew where he went.

So Daniel drove me to the airport in the rented station wagon. He carried my bag all the way to the waiting area. As we waited for our plane to arrive I thought and thought about the decision I was making and finally I realized something. I didn't love Daniel.

"Daniel?"

"What is it Roxie?"

"I…I can't do this."

"Do what?"

"Go back to Ohio with you…when my heart is here in Tulsa."

Daniel didn't understand. But he hugged me, and kissed my cheek and said if I ever came back to Ohio I needed to visit him. Then I ran. I ran to the payphones and fumbled with my change. I tried Aunt Candice's house but the phone rang and rang. I tried Darry and Olivia's house but again nobody answered. I tried Trisha and Two-Bit's house too, but no one was home. Finally I looked up the DX; I got Steve on the phone. After spilling out the story he said that Soda was on his way to pick me up.

Always reliable, Soda pulled up in front of the airport faster than I expected, he was probably speeding. He didn't say anything to me about Daniel. Instead he commented about how he thought Trisha and Two-Bit should get married. But try as he might to keep my mind of the situation he couldn't, it was just impossible.

We were going down the street to Aunt Candice's house when I saw him. He was slouching down the street with the collar of his leather jacket popped up just like he did the summer I came to Tulsa. I told Soda to stop the car and I practically threw myself out of it, calling his name. He turned around and stared at me, a little coolly, but who could blame him. I toed the ground and bit my lower lip as he studied me.

"Well?" he asked me. I shrugged.

* * *

He hadme back in his life just like that. I only told him what happened at the airport once. But he didn't really care what had happened. All that was important was that I had come back to him.

My parents of course were upset that I was leaving the doctor for the unemployed hood. But they understood the thrill I got in the bottom of my stomach when I saw him and the way my heart fluttered when we were together. I knew Aunt Candace would have been happy for me. Although she didn't like my husband in the beginning she realized fifteen years ago that he was the one for me just like Olivia, Trisha, and all the guys had.

"I love you Roxanne," he whispered in my ear as Lucy and Ethel got into another one of their hilarious antics. As I sat there snuggled against him I realized that I had been foolish to think that someone else could have ever taken his place. He always knew that my heart belonged to him, even when I didn't.

"I love you too Dally," I whispered back.


End file.
